Seat cushion



H. A. FLOGAUS May 8, 1951 SEAT CUSHION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6,1945 INVENTOR floyazzs ATTORN EY ii i 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. A. FLOGAUSSEAT CUSHION May 8, 1951 Filed Dec. 6, 1945 M ATTORN EY I NVT R HouggrdZagaus H. A. FLOGAUs SEAT CUSHION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 1945 w-am dlatented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SEAT CUSHION Howard A.Flogaus, Wallingford, Pa., assignor to ACE-Brill Motors Company, NewYork, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware 2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to seatcushions, particularly cushions adapted for use in vehicles. Duringrecent years several attempts have been made to make seats morecomfortable, particularly where these seats are used invehicles-travelconsidered as high pressure areas since the entire weightof the body is supported at these two points. Ordinary flat cushionswill help in distributing the weight and partially relieve the musclesof their necessity of acting as shock absorbers. However, in order toproperly relieve these muscles and more evenly distribute the bodysweight it is necessary to shape the cushion to the average humananatomy. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to providea cushion shaped to fit the average human anatomy and evenly distributethe bodys weight.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a body conformingcushion supported upon a body conforming member which in turn isresiliently mounted to relieve road shocks.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a bodyconforming seat cushion containing air chambers which will assist intransferring and equalizing the unit pressures on the cushion.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a bodyconforming cushion having weight equalizing properties yet withoutexcessive springiness.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to personsskilled in the art from a study of the following description andaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a section taken substantiallythrough the longitudinal center of the cushion and on line l- -'l ofFig. 4;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 4showing the cushion unit y;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the improved cushion;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the improved cushion with part broken away todisclose the air cell arrangement;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 butshowing in addition contours at various other sections;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modificationthereof;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a still furthermodification and being taken on line 'l'i of Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the cushion of Fig. '7, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on lines 99 of Figs. 7and 8.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that thecushion is supported upon a pan member 2 adapted to fit within and haveits side flanges 4 fastened to wood or other framing members 6. Thesewood or other framing members permit ready attachment of the upholsteryportion 8 and this may be of fabric, leather or any other desiredmaterial. Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it willbe seen that the cushion is formed of rubber or other resilient materialmolded so that the upper surface will conform to the average humananatomy. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the longitudinal sectionsthrough the cushion disclose that the to the rear edge I6. Thiscurvature is not constant throughout the width of the cushion; however,since as clearly disclosed in Fig. 5 the cushion is built with acompound transverse ciu'vature, that is, from one side edge I8 the topsurface curves downwardly and inwardly to a low point 29 thence upwardlyto an intermediate point 22, thence downwardly to a second low point 24and again upwardly to the opposite side edge 25. The degree oftransverse curvature is not constant, varying between the leadingand'rear edge of the cushion as shown by outlines labeled A, B, C, D andE. In other words, the high point l2 of the cushion will be curved asshown by line A Fig. 5 in order to accommodate and distribute the weightto the upper leg muscles. At the plane B the top surface will still becurved transversely to again accommodate the leg muscles, but thecurvature to accommodate the leg muscles gradually disappears until atthe low point 14, as shown in section Fig. 5, there is no longer needfor accommodation of the leg muscles. From the section outline of Fig. 5the curve rises to the contour at line D and thence to the straight lineE which discloses the contour at the back or high point I5, thuspermitting the cushion to readily fit into the seat back upholstery. Itwill thus be seen the seat cushion top surface has a compound transversecurvature and also a longitudinal curvature in order that it may morereadily conform to the average human anatomy and permit more evendistribution of weight between the body muscles in contactwith thecushion.

In order to assist in the distribution and equalization of weight thebottom surface of the ,to that just described.

cushion is molded with a plurality of intersecting longitudinal and:transverse semi-circular passage'sZB and 28 respectively. Certain ofthese passages at their points of intersection merge into the ends oftubular cavities 30 which are located toward the forward edge of thecushion where the normal pressure from the bodymuscles would berelatively light. As constructed the cushion of molded resilientmaterial will be cemented or otherwise secured to the pan,2' thustrapping air in the cavities 30 and passages 26 and 28, yet allowingfree transfer ofair toall parts of the cushion. The'body weight imposedupon the top surface of the cushion willacause the air in the passagesand tubular cavities or cells -to;be compressed, thus urging all partsof the .w-ill;be noted that the cells are omitted .in the H area betweenthe back of the cushion and approximately: plane C of Fig. 4. It will beunderstood, of course, that the top surface of the cushion will becovered by the upholsterymaterial 8 which is preferablycemented orotherwise secured to the ,bodyconforming top surface thereof.

in the modification shown inFig. 6 theseat bottom pan and frame, as wellas the general outline of the supporting cushion 40, are identical Inthis form, however, the top surface of the intermediate or supportingcushion 40 is cemented or otherwise secured to the bottomsurface of abody conforming member 42 made of either aluminum, magnesium or somelight plastic material. On top of this rigid body conforming member ismounted a flat sheet of cushion rubber or other material 44. This topcushion is molded with a plurality of semi-circular .passages .45 whichassist in giving springiness to the top member, which is cemented orotherwise secured to the top surface of the body conforming member 42.

In theform shown-in Figs. 7, Band 9 the body conforming rigid memberinstead'of being supported upon a rubber or other element, such as 40in. Fig. 6, is supported on pan 2 by aplurality of helical springs 56fastened at their lower end to pan 2 and at their upper end to bodyconform- H ing rigid member 42. This body conforming rigid member iscovered by resilient member 44 as in Fig. 6, which is cemented orotherwise se- 9, the persons weight will be distributed more or lessevenly ,over the entire top surface but withoutpermitting excessivespringiness which is so objectionable in vehicles subjected to vibratoryshock caused by road inequalities.

What is claimed is:

l. A cushion structure comprising a frame, a pan member having asubstantially fiat base portion and having side flanges secured to saidframe, a resilient rubber cushion secured to said base portion, saidcushion having intersecting air channels formed .in the lower surfacethereof and vertically extending cavities communicating therewith, saidchannels and cavities being sealed against said pan by said securingmeans to trap air therewithin, the top. surface of said cushion beingcurved longitudinally from the zone of the L-front edge downwardly andthen upwardly to the rear edge, and transversely from the side edgesdownwardly and then upwardly to a high *pointintermediate the side edgesand then downpan member having a substantially fiat base portion andhaving side flanges secured to said frame,.a resilient rubber cushionsecured to said base portion, said cushion having intersecting airchannels formed in the lower surface thereof and vertically extendingcavities communicating therewith, said channels and cavities beingsealed against said pan by-said securing means to trap air therewithin,the top surface ofsaid cushion being curved longitudinally from the zone.of the front edge downwardly and then upwardly to the rear edge, andtransversely from the side edges downwardly and then upwardly to ahighpoint intermediate the sideedges and then downwardly and upwardly tothe opposite side edge, said cavities being confined to said areas ofsaid cushion near said front zone adjacent the leg muscles of theoccupant, the areas of minimum depth and at the back of the cushioncontaining no cavities whereby the cushion supports more weight at thesepoints which are substantially adjacent the projections of a normally,seated ischium of the occupant, a body conforming member secured andconformed to said top cushion, said body conforming member having thespringy charac teristic of a thin sheet of aluminum, magnesium orplastic, a fiat sheet of additional resilient rubber secured to andcemented upon said body conforming member and likewise conforming to thetop surface thereof, said additional sheethaving HOWARD A. FLOGAUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file ofthis patent;

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